Post for signboards or the like



Feb. 4, 1930.- H, ELLIS 1,745,987

POST FOR SIGNBOARDS OR THE LIKE Filed June 21. 1928 Qwmmtoz i Har2 y 6. Eli/1's v is we furnish a post supporting deyice'of simple;

a 'A further object is to furnish billboard 'angle' irons, and soa'ss'embled as topermit l Fig.1 i" a rea'rview of a hill 1 w the earths Patented, Feb. I 4, 6 p

gm? G. nnnrs or serum, rEiviIsrLvANrA 1 rosin ,ronlslcrnnonnns on TH nrii'ii.

Application filed June 2;,

This invention relates'to improvements in 7 bill boards or sign boardsyandparticularly toithe supporting posts. of the same." .The. primary object ofthe' invention 1s to 1 1 andfllnexpensive construction, and onewhich Will permit the adjustment of the post'with a iewof straighteningfthe signv after one or moreof the legs have sagged. i'

' Another importantobject is to'furnish a I bill board or signpostsupporting device, the portion" of which to be imbedded inthe earth" may be forcibly expanded to jfirm'ly I anchor it in-the so'lid' Wallof 'thep'ost hole, 15

preliminary tofilling the -l'atter, and the eX- panding means being readily reached "when necessary for thepurposeof adjustment.

A still further object is'fto' provide a novel bill board or sign post having special means tof acilitate the attachm nt of the bill boardi ors'i'gn to the post.

posts, and post supporting devices formed of structural metal,. such as channel irons or forcible anchoring spread of the supporting 1 devices" and convenient post readjustment, Wherebythe sign may be rigidly embedded in the: earth and-'the' postportion readily 3 straightened oralined when required;

With {the foregoing fobjects outlined and Withfother' objects in View which Will'appear y as thejdescription proceeds,'my inyention con sists in the novel featureshereinafterde 3 scribed in detail',f'i llustrated in the. accom a panying drawing, and," more particularly pointed out, inthe appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, e Y board or sign provided with improvements, and she-W ing the post supporting devices before they have been'partial-ly embedded in, the earth. Fig. 2 isa perspectiveyiew of thev lofwer;

;:portion-of one post, and the supporting d'e vice' 'o'f the same; 1 N

Fig. 3 isanelevation of the structure shown in. 2, but'illustrating'the manner in which the supporting de'vicefis anchored in "has; four legs instead of two.

'specialblank an ployed.

together atsuitable points bolts or; the

,by bol-ts 11 ,]an'd each endof the crossbar, f

- anysuitable-fastening means such as bolts 16.

bolt 19- passes;

, thereon.

1928.]. Serial: No. 287,250; I,

, Fig.4 is an'enlarged horizontal sectional;

View taken on'line l -4t of'Fig. 3.; 1

5' is'a horizontal sectional yiewof a modification in which the supporting device Fig. 6 isa detail-perspective vieW'of-the- 7 isa partial'elevation of the modified construction indicated-in F ig. 5;

board wliicliinay beof any desired construe tion. In theflpresent. instance,- it isfpro- *Vldtdiwith a plurality of metal bars 2', .shapedin horizontal cross section, and 'con- 65 nected tothesign by any suitable means, (not These bars 2 cooperate with posts 3', and

' each' 'p'ost consists ofa pairof channel shaped irons 4,}spaced apart asshoWn at 5-to're ceive 79 'the'yerticalwfeb'fi'of one of the bars 2." From Fig. 4', it maybe Jseen thatthe channels are oppositely directed, and" that the main-plate.

8 of'thechannelsj" r 1 The bars Q' are connected to theposts by means o-fclamping plates 9 that are drawn '7 ofv the 'barrests' against the frontwings 7 "towardone another byfbolts 10.

The channels-of each post are connected likell 7 p r TA, crossbar-12 extends through the slot 5 and is clamped in the position illustrated,"

is pivotally connected by afbolt 13 or the like, to a leg 14. Each leg preferably consistsof a pair of angle irons 15-, 's'paced apartby they/cross bar and clamped together by asher preferably enl- .60 In the drawing, 1 in'dicatesa sign orbi-llr further anchoring spread of the legs should.

In order to adjust the post 3 relatively to its supporting legs 14, any suitable adjusting means may be used, but as a preferred embodiment of such means, I employ a pair of threaded rods 22 and 23, which pass through the'slot 5 of the post, andthe slots 20 of its legs, and each rod is provided with an adjustable block 24, that is forced against one of the legs by a nut 25.

Nuts 26 on the intermediate portions of the rods, function to force spaced clamping plates 27 against opposite sides of the posts to position and support the latter. And it will be noted that by proper adjustment of said spaced clamps,-the post maybe shifted lengthwise of the cross-bar 12, or angularly moved in the plane of the latter, thus providing for readjustment in case of sag of any leg 14, and true alinement with other posts even if the post holes are not accurately placed. I

Itwill be understood that each post of the sign has a supporting structure ofthe kind described, and in using the invention, a hole 28, of the type shown in F igl 3, will be dug in the ground to receive the leg portion 14, 14 of the supporting device of each post. In placing thelegs 14, 14 in said post hole, they are positioned by adjustment of nuts 25, 25 ';so as to be in a slightly retracted closed together position, so that when lowered into the post hole 28, they may be forcibly spread by reverse adjustment of said nuts 25', 25, to force the lower end of said legs apart against the unloosened earth wall of said hole,

fins 18, 18 also biting into the latter, such spreading movement firmly'anchoring said legs preliminary to refilling said holes 28. After such forcible anchoring ad ustments of the legs. 14, 14 have been made by means of the nuts 25 and 25, the holes will be filled to further anchor the supporting devices in position, and such filling if desired may cover the entire supporting structure.

,; It will be obvious that such a supporting structure will hold the bill board steady and straight, in spite of strong wind pressures, but should either post sag, then, by adjusting the nuts 25, the sign may be straightened or posts alined as above set forth. In addition, adjustment of the nuts 25 will enable their first anchoring become loosened by accident or after settlement of the earth filled hole. 1 I

In order that the nuts 25 may always exert an axial strain on bolts 22 and 23, I preferably employ a washer plate 250, as clearly seen in Fig. 6, which plate has a concave inner face 251 and a bolt aperture 252. I also preferably form the adjustable blocks 24 as indicated in said Fig. 6, said blocks having a convex face 241 against which the concave face 251 of washer 250 adjustably seats. I.

also provide said blocks 24 with an elongated bolt aperture 242 so as to permit considerable adjustment movement of the washers 250 on their adjustable seating. r

The structure above described though usable for any post structure, has been designed especially for bill boards and the like, where wind pressures will be, exerted from directly opposite sides, but in case the supporting structure is used with a sign post subjected to pressures from various angles, it maybe advisable to employ an additional pair of legs. Such a construction is shown in Figs. 5 "and 7 In this form of the invention, the webs of the channel irons of the post may be slotted at their lower ends to recelve a pairof threaded rods. and a.

cross bar, positioned at right angles to and similar to the rods 22, 23, and the cross bar 12. Clamping plates, similar to the plates 27, and nuts, functioning similar to the nuts 25 may be mounted on the rods 31 to engage the opposite faces of the post, and each rod 31 Y may also be provided with clamping blocks and nuts which function, on the auxiliary legs 32, in a manner similar to the blocks 24 and nuts 25.

Due to this arrangement, the post may be adjusted in various directions to accommodate any leaning of the same, or sagging of one or more of the legs.

From the foregoing disclosure, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention may be readily understood, and I am aware that various changes may be made in the details disclosed,

connected to the post, slottedlegs pivotally.

mounted on the supporting member, threaded members passing through the slots of the post and legs, and threaded elements mounted on the rods for adjustably securing the legs in various positions relatively to the post.

In a structure of the character described, a post, a supporting member secured to the post, legs pivotally connected to the'supporting member and provided with slots, threaded rods connecting the postand legsand extending through the slots of the latter, and

adjustable members on the rods for holding the legs in various positions relatively to said post. I v

4." In a structure of the character described,

a post, a supporting member securedcto the.

post, legs connected to said supporting mem- -ber, threaded rods connecting the-legs and post and extending through the-latter, and" adjustable members on the rods engaging op- I posite sides of the post. I

V 5. In a structure of the character'described; a structural metal post having a vertically disposed slot,-a cross-baryextending through said slot and secu'redto the post, slottedlegs pivotally connected to the cross; bar, thread- 7 ed, rods passing through the slots in the post and legs, clamping members on the rods en-' 7 gaging opposite sides of the post, and clamping blocks on the rods engaging said legs. 6. In a structure of thecharacter described, a post, a crossbar secured to the post, legs pivotally connected to the cross bar, each leg having an elongated vertical slot, threaded rods passing through the post andthrough the slots in the legs, adjustable members on the rods engaging opposite sides of the post, and adjustable blocks on the rods engaging said legs. Y a 1 7. In a structure ofthecharacter described, 2 a post, a cross bar secured to the post, legs pivotally connected to the cross bar, a threaded rod adjustably connecting said legs, a block on one of said legs having a convex outer face and an elongated rod passageway,

a Washer plates-having arod aperture and'a concave inner 'face, adjustably seatable Lon block convex face, and a nut on said rod seatable on said asher plate and adapted to v adjustably seat said plate on said block when drawn up so as to exert an axialstrain only on said rod. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. HARRY: G.- 

